The present invention relates to drilling rigs and to methods of moving them from well to well. In the past, rigs were set up to move in large pieces or in one piece from well to well. This was done by rolling the rig on large rubber tire wheels, skidding the rig on rails using winches or hydraulic jacks, or by mounting it on rollers that ride on rails and pulling the rig on these rails with a truck. Then after a rig is moved off of a well, a flow line is usually attached to the well head so that production can begin. These lines are typically positioned a few feet above ground level and are directed perpendicular to the well row. Any number of wells can be positioned in a row and spacing between wells in a row might range from 30 to 110 feet in a drilling area such as in North Ak. wherein the production wells are usually closely spaced and arranged in rows.
Existing rigs used in such drilling areas are configured to straddle the well row. Thus, once the flow or other lines are connected to the well head area, the rig cannot travel down the well row. This presents a problem if the operator decides to drill between two existing wells in a row. In that case in the past he would either have to remove the flow lines, or disassemble and reassemble the rig, or move the rig so that it is positioned in a direction perpendicular to the row from the opposite direction of the flow line extensions. The first two alternatives are very time consuming, costly and hazardous and the third is not always possible because there usually is not sufficient room in the lease or on the artificial offshore island for the rig to manuver.